Think of Sikkim and the images of snow clad peaks, terraced rice fields, lushly forested hills, misty clouds setting in the deep valleys, whispering falls and mesmerising cascades come before your eyes. Sikkim is a painter’s dream — a beautiful landscape sketched by the Creator. With these thoughts, we set out for this land of peace and tranquillity. All along our way, we are accompanied by the majestic River Teesta storming its way through the heavy boulders; its thunder cry adding to the noise of the traffic of NH 31 — the only road that connects Sikkim with the rest of the country. This first tryst with Sikkim is very much like treading between the familiar and the alien. We are yet to reach Gangtok, our destination, but we can already feel a connection with nature and the rhythm in the lives of people. Journey from Bagdogra to Gangtok covers a myriad of landscapes.

Who’ll bell the cat? Mice would be the default answer! But can mice actually fight the cat? It seems they can. Now, replace ‘cat’ with human rights issues and ‘mice’ with young advocates of human rights and environment issues. Times have changed from the days of aggressive criticism about the irresponsibility of youth and their lack of social commitment. What we see today is a surge of young adults addressing human rights and environment issues. We catch up with some of them here.

It’s almost hypnotic, the effect of looking at the orange cushion cover, embroidered intricately in concentric circles in delicate running kantha stitches. Anais Basu, on her first trip to India, fell in love with this stitch that at once appealed to her because of its “simplicity and humility”.